Silver Thrash Relegated Songwe, Keep Title Hopes Alive

Silver Strikers kept their championship dreams alive with a comprehensive 6-0 demolition of relegated Songwe Border United at Silver Stadium on Sunday afternoon, closing the gap on league leaders FCB Nyasa Big Bullets and Mighty Wanderers.

MORE NEWS FROM WAMPIRA

The scoreline reflected the vast chasm between the two sides—separated by 44 points before kickoff and now 47. For Songwe Border United, it marked their second-worst defeat of the season, eclipsed only by a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Bullets in the first round.

Songwe Border United’s nightmare campaign hit rock bottom as they became mathematically relegated following a 3-0 defeat to Mzuzu City Hammers earlier in the week. The demoralized squad could muster only 14 players for the trip to Lilongwe, and their fragile confidence showed from the opening whistle.

The visitors have now conceded a staggering 70 goals in 28 matches, with only two fixtures remaining—against Blue Eagles and Civil Service United.

“Silver’s Title Charge Gathers Momentum”

The victory propels Silver to 53 points, just six behind joint-leaders Bullets and Wanderers, crucially with a game in hand. Their remaining fixtures include a trip to Blantyre to face Ekha FC (who lost 1-0 to Wanderers on Sunday), followed by away matches against Mafco and Karonga United, before closing the season with home encounters against Mzuzu City Hammers and Blue Eagles.

The defending champions started the day nine points adrift and knew only a convincing victory would keep their title defense realistic.

Despite their dire circumstances, Songwe Border United began brightly, showing glimpses of resilience in the opening exchanges. However, their resistance crumbled in the 18th minute when Emmance Allan met Festus Duwe’s corner with a powerful header—his seventh goal of the campaign despite limited opportunities behind Andrew Joseph, Binwell Katinji, and Stain Davie in the striking hierarchy.

Allan nearly doubled his tally moments later after receiving Charles Chipala’s through ball, but his effort drifted wide. Silver didn’t have to wait long, though, as Macdonald Lameck made it 2-0 in the 25th minute. The marauding right-back collected Uchizi Vunga’s pass, beat the goalkeeper, and slotted home with composure.

Songwe Border United were fortunate to reach halftime only two goals down, as Silver spurned several clear-cut chances.

Silver emerged after the break determined to pad their goal difference—potentially crucial in the tight title race. Charles Chipala struck the side netting early on after another Duwe assist, while Nixon Mwase headed over from close range.

Sensing no threat from the visitors, Silver pushed their wing-backs forward, with coach Peter Mgangira deploying a 3-4-3 formation that allowed Lameck and Innocent Shema to maraud down the flanks while Chikondi Kamanga anchored the midfield.

The introduction of Lasuli Jali for Chipala in the 67th minute added fresh impetus. Jali’s intelligent runs immediately troubled Songwe’s backline, and he nearly scored when his effort crashed against the crossbar, with Duwe agonizingly close to converting the rebound.

Uchizi Vunga added a spectacular third with a thunderous strike from outside the box after being picked out by the influential Duwe. Lameck then converted an emphatic penalty to make it 5-0 before Zebron Kalima completed the rout in stoppage time.

The victory extends Silver’s impressive home record: nine wins, three draws, and just one defeat from 13 matches at their fortress, with 25 goals scored and only seven conceded. Overall, the Bankers have won 15, drawn eight, and lost just two of their 25 matches this season.

Only Bullets (10 wins) have a better home record than Silver’s nine victories, which matches Ekha FC’s tally. Wanderers and Civil Service United have each won eight at home.

With momentum building and a game in hand over the leaders, Silver Strikers have ensured the title race will go down to the wire.